Pope Francis, whose papacy has been marked by efforts to quell a global crisis over sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, says he is committed to stopping the abuse of nuns by priests and bishops, some of whom had used the women as sex slaves.

Pope Francis has declined to comment on a growing scandal after a former Vatican official claimed the pontiff ignored sexual abuse allegations against a senior clergyman and called on him to resign.

Pope Francis condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria after a suspected attack in an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday had a meeting with Pope Francis, spiritual leader of the world's Catholics, at the Holy See in Vatican City.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holds a meeting with Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholics of the world, at the Holy See in Vatican City.

Pope Francis says he was really afraid about the danger of nuclear war and that the world now stood at “the very limit”.

Pope Francis in his Christmas message calls for adequate protection of the dignity of Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh following persecution in Myanmar.

As the impressions of Pope Francis' back-to-back visits to Myanmar and Bangladesh sink in, some self-evident truths glare through the mists of Naypyidaw, the new Burmese capital.

Pope Francis, speaking hours before US President Donald Trump's announcement on Jerusalem, calls for the city's "status quo" to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.

Pope Francis defends his strategy of avoiding the term “Rohingya” in Myanmar, saying he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue.

Pope Francis compares gossip to terrorism, saying it acts like bombs to destroy communities and harmony. “Gossiping is a kind of terrorism,” he told a gathering of Catholic cardinals, bishops, priests, nuns and brothers at the 16th century Portuguese church at Tejgaon in Dhaka.

For the first time on his Asia tour, Pope Francis referred to the Rohingya people by name yesterday and assured them of continued support so that they can get their rights back.

Pope Francis refers to refugees who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh as "Rohingya", using the politically sensitive name for the persecuted minority for the first time on an Asia tour dominated by their plight after meeting some of them in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina makes a courtesy call on Pope Francis at Vatican Embassy in Dhaka.

Pope Francis celebrates a Holy Mass, a prayer service, at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on the second day of his visit to Bangladesh.

Pope Francis yesterday called for "decisive" international action on the Rohingya refugee crisis as he began a visit to Bangladesh, where more than 620,000 of the Muslim minority have sought sanctuary after fleeing violence in Myanmar.

Pope Francis is the first pope from the Americas, hailing from Argentina, which is more famous for its football.

Pope Francis says the international community must take "decisive measures" to address the Rohingya crisis taking into account the "gravity of the situation".

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Pope Francis who is in Bangladesh on a three-day visit. This is a historic moment for us and for the Christian community in Bangladesh in particular.

Pope Francis calls on the people of Myanmar to embrace peace and reconciliation on the third day of his visit fraught with diplomatic risk over a military crackdown that has triggered the flight of about 625,000 Muslim Rohingyas from the predominantly Buddhist country.